#34 Smug + Steampunk Submitted!

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

After the craziness of last week, I couldn't possibly top it this week could I? Not like I've made a decision that affects things...Maybe I'll talk about that next week!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

I'll put my hand up and admit to making a small mistake here. I was meant to include a panel showing the Snake Zombie exploding. I was too focused on thinking of what was going to happen that I forgot to include it!

I'm still learning!

Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose

As we're getting closer to the end, I'm starting to think about what comes after for the characters (well, sort of, I know what will happen to Rose but its everything that happens in the middle that's an unknown!). Technically, Rose has already appeared in one short story, collected as part of this anthology. Will they appear in more? Novellas perhaps? I'm undecided. In a different universe, this Comic would have been ongoing now for over 2 years! If that was the case, it would have taken the choice out of my hands! Alas, other priorities...

(First posted July 5th, 2021)

Under the gruelling sun, Kurz led his companions, and an unwilling Mason, onward.

"Why did you so readily agree to help?" Kurz asked Rose. "You had no reason to be so #Compliant."

"Because I wanted to help," Rose smiled.

(First posted July 6th, 2021)

Wanting to carry on the conversation and #unravel a bit of his tough edge, Rose turned to Mason, and innocently asked:

"Why did you join Finch?"

Mason turned away, unsure of how to answer.

"I had nothing as a kid, then he found me, gave me a home."

(First posted July 7th, 2021)

"You think that sob story justifies anything!" Kurz turned, his words flourished with anger.

"I did what I did, and I'd do it again!" Mason said defiantly. Rose broke up the impromptu #Therapy session with a start:

"There's someone over there!"

(First posted July 8th, 2021)

Rose ran to the body that was lying #crestfallen in the dirt, with shoeprints walking away from it. As she approached, the man coughed out a few words.

"My daughter...please...save her." He weakly held out a photo for Rose to take.

(First posted July 9th, 2021)

Rose looked at the picture, a smiling, red haired girl like herself looking back at her. Her eyes showing a #freedom of spirit.

"She's in trouble?" Rose asked. Neal had bent down to tend to the man:

"I'm afraid he's gone, Rose." He said sadly.

(First posted July 10th, 2021)

"This has Eros written all over it!" Mason said, not shocked in the slightest. "Though it is #inelegant for that twat."

Rose held the photo close to her chest, tightly.

"That bastard!" Kurz roared.

"We're saving this girl!" Rose shouted.

(First posted July 11th, 2021)

"Where is she likely being held?" Rose directed the question to Mason.

"Uhhh..." He mumbled. "There's a mid-tier boss with a fortress around here. Gave me the creeps with his supposedly #refined taste in women. He probably has her, and others."

(First posted July 12th, 2021)

"What? No. Eros is our mission!" Kurz said #Antagonisticly. "We can't let him escape."

"And we can't leave this girl where she is either. She deserves better," Rose said back.

"Eros is heading there anyway," Mason sheepishly mumbled, looking down.

(First posted July 13th, 2021)

"Fine," Kurz said, turning away from Rose. Frustrated with how things were going.

"I just want Eros to pay for what he did to my parents." There was a #Sparkle in his eye, a tear of remembrance.

"Oh, we're so dead..." Mason despaired.

(First posted July 14th, 2021)

As the group advanced Kurz glanced back at Rose. He'd felt guilty about the way he snapped.

"If you want to apologise to her, just do it," Neal said, startling Kurz. "You need to remember that everyone is suffering, not just you."

(First posted July 15th, 2021)

"#Beyond that, you know this isn't what your mother would have wanted, and you're angry at yourself for the conflicted emotions," Neal sighed. "She and Rose were alike in that they'd rather save a life then take one."

Kurz's anger drained away.

(First posted July 16th, 2021)

Kurz looked to the sky, wondering what his mum would say. A mournful Mason caught everyone's attention though.

"There it is..." His voice trembling.

Ahead, was now a #clear view of their destination, looming over them like a malevolent shadow.

That was a lot this week! However next week will be the end...Don't kill me on how it 'ends', please!

Steampunk Submitted!

So good news!

I finally finished editing my very first steampunk story and...I think its okay. So okay in fact, I immediately started work on a completely different theme (see last week blog). What theme? Ghost Duty, but that's not important right now, though in a related topic, I'm now listening to Halloween music.

Where were we?

Oh, editing Steampunk! Yeah it took longer than what I would have liked, and there's no shortage of things I could say I was definitively happy about...but that's normal for a writer isn't it? 

I picked out spelling errors, grammar errors, anything that I could spot, but my main focus was on making sense. To this end, an entire plot point was deleted as no amount of editing was getting it to fit smoothly in place.

I find it odd for me to do editing like this as I often make changes before the manuscript is even finished. Readers of this blog will know this from the way I've talked about short story writing before...Hell, I've even talked about ditching elements while talking about this very same Steampunk story!

As an example, this, aforementioned,  Steampunk story. When I was working on the very first idea and managed to jot down a meagre word amount (it was something like 300 odd words). The next night, I was back at the laptop and the first thing I did? I edited those words. This happened a further few nights before I wiped the slate clean and tried again...before wiping THAT slate clean. While I honestly can't remember if I talked about my original story idea (it involved Gabriel), that is a better subject for talking about the story if it ever sees the light of day. This is the kind of editing I often do though. I know some people can hammer out a draft without touching up as they go along, and edit the hell out of it, but I've always had trouble that way, as it often snowballs. By that, I mean changing one thing leads to more and more changes, till I've rewritten the entire story practically. Believe me, I've done that as well.

Of course, my approach isn't all sunshine and rainbows as it adds a lot of time to my projects as a 3k word short takes weeks as I edit what I'm doing till it matches what I want in my head, before going on to finish the story.  In a funny way, our stories are like Frankensteins monster, comprised of many different revisions of the story. My steampunk tale is no different, though has less parts making it up, giving all early revisions were obliterated.

I seem to have waffled on a bit here, so I'll leave it here for this week!

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 2

Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 13

#33 Wait For It + More Malarkey

 Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Well another short story anthology has hit the wild (a best selling one at that!) but before we talk about that, let's catch up with other business first!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

This was a fun one for sure. I do like it when I make a speaking-lite one work. I think my favourite part is definitely the expression on the snake zombies face there.

We'll have to see what Gallows thought of this next week!

Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose

(First posted 12th June 2021)

"Oh we're all dead now! Eros will kill all those who see that symbol!" Mason shouted in panic.

Rose looked around for the shooter and spotted him a fair bit aways. A tawdry looking man lowering a sniper rifle. He looked the #envy of any Prince.

(First posted 13th June 2021)

While Rose kept an eye on the distant figure of Eros, who hadn't raised his gun again, Kurz wanted answers.

"Who the hell is Eros! I know all of Finch's lackeys, he's not one I know," he held Mason up.

With no choice, Mason quickly started talking.

(First posted 14th June 2021)

"Eros," Mason spluttered out. "Finch's head assassin. #Hungry for the next target and the bling he takes from the victim. He doesn't just kill folk like your parents, he guts those that fail Finch as well!"

"What was that about my parents?"

(First posted 15th June 2021)

Meanwhile Neal had propped up the men that Kurz had ko'ed, all still alive and looking #lazy.

At that moment, Eros lifted his gun again, Rose screamed out in warning. Neal watched helplessly as three bullets ended the lives of those Kurz spared.

(First posted 16th June 2021)

Eros had Rose in his sights, his buzzer went off before he could pull the trigger, causing him to groan as he answered. What he heard, shocked him. Rose watched him leave, not knowing fate's #chains were already moving towards the next tragedy.

(First posted 17th June 2021)

"We're going after him," Kurz announced, stunning everyone.

"Wha-what!" Mason stammered.

"That man tore apart my life, I don't care how strong he is, no one deserves to get such an easy #ride through life after crimes like his!"

(First posted 18th June 2021)

"You can't be serious!" Mason cried out. "Eros is the Grim reaper! We should be getting the hell out of here!"

Kurz stared back, his eyes a #sword cutting through the pathetic excuses.

"Rose, get Mason on his feet, he can help track Eros down."

(First posted 19th June 2021)

"Kurz, you don't have to do this," Neal pleaded.

"For my parents, I have to bring him down," Kurz replied.

"We're ready," Rose said softly, with Mason stood behind her.

"Being bound by her should be a #dream! But this a nightmare!" Mason cried out.

(First posted 20th June 2021)

Elsewhere, Eros's relentless march was interrupted by a man begging for help, a #tattoo marking him as Finch's slave labour.

"Please, they took my daughter..."

Eros wasted no time in breaking his spine and continuing on. Leaving the man to die.

There's a small break here as I happened to catch covid during the original run. Thus this us a fitting place to leave it this week. I think we'll reach the end in 3 weeks (give or take).

More Malarkey!

Have you read Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1 yet? (Link here)

You have?

Great!

What's that...you want more?

Well, have I got news for you!

Introducing Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 2!

Now go and read it, no don't worry, it's fine, it's fine, I can wait.

...

...

...

Oh? Did I forget to mention that this best selling anthology was also free? Yeah, you heard that, go and read it!

...

...

...

Okay, you read it? Good as I'm now going to issue a spoiler warning for my story "The Last Job" so heed it if you haven't read it yet!

Spoiler Warning! Spoiler Warning!

...

...

...

Still here? Okay then I can begin:

Feels a bit weird to be talking about this story as I've done a couple of posts talking about it already, earlier this year.

The seed for the story came from the prompt that the Malarkey's authors were given. I knew that after writing a lighter tale in the first Malarkey (Ghost Duty...who will be returning very, very, soon), I knew I needed something darker, someone darker...Enter Gabriel stage right.

The prompt was Fade to Noir which I only read one thing into at first, Noir style. The idea of a private investigator, struggling against the system and their own personal demons, is one I've toyed with before. Like with Brennan and Riz in places and their first sci fi incarnation. How was I going to add Gabriel in though?

My first idea was that the story would revolver around a investigator watching the world fall apart around him, till Gabriel appears, offering one last job, with the reward being salvation, a trip to a 'better' world (better is subjective to Gabriel).

This idea didn't last long as I struggled with the finer details, so it was back to the drawing board. I looked at the prompt again and a song kept trying to force itself into my brain. The 80s song Fade to Grey that is. Like that I had a fresh idea. The investigator stayed, Gabriel stayed but the setting shifted to the beginning of the 80s. 

I choose to write in first person, allowing me better access to my protagonists mind (who went a little while without a name!). I also chose to start the story at the end, utilising that classic trope, before going back to the beginning.

Gabriel’s involvement varied over the drafts but he (technically) gets two moments to shine in the text, once I figured out what he wanted from this endeavour, and that brings me nicely to my next point.

In the early drafts, the only recurring character to appear in the story was Gabriel, because his nature made it easy to put him in places. However, a 2nd character from my other works got to make an appearance. One who is often referred to as a 'favourite' by those who've beta read for me. Reason as to why I needed them? To be the person Gabriel wanted distracted, to be the person the investigator was looking for.

That person will be a complete unknown to 99.99% of everyone reading the book. However, to me, she's the Daemon Soul, Serena. This story marks the first time since 2005 that those words would see print. Gabriel had seen print once before, but while his prior appearance hinted at plans, he was removed enough that no one would care if that was it. Serena however, is part of a legacy, one that I intend to see out there, one way or another.

I dropped a few other terms in there, hooks if you will, and left it to that, after all, this is the detectives story, and he did finally get a name...after I looked at a certain 80s movie and combine two actor's names, Robert Nielson.

Everything was going well, till a week or so before deadline and there was parts of the story that weren't clicking. Part of this was the conversation between Robert and Serena. In this context, he'd just seen demons for the first time, and a lot of dead bodies (that he made reasons to not tell the police about...I tried to change that as well) but it was making it hard to write what was needed versus what would have happened. Luckily the change here was easy to make and also shaped Roberts backstory. Now, he knew about demons, he'd tried to specialise in demons so that other families could avoid the fate his had suffered. Not original I know but it worked. This became why Gabriel had sought him out, preying on his past, tormenting him that much more, and at the end, turning him into what he hated most.

This freed the conversation with Serena, allowing them better questions. Now Robert could get to the heart of the matter quickly (like asking what she was!). This was the final version I'd submit before editors started catching all my mistakes, and offering suggestions on how to improve things.

Overall, despite the mishaps along the way (seriously, go back and look over my blog posts from the time I was writing this back in the spring. I'd never restarted a manuscript so many times!), I am proud of this story, and it allowed a small window on two of my favourite characters to write, and I'm eager to do more.

Has any of this inspired you to write for Malarkey? Well here's your chance as submissions are open for a 3rd book!

Check out this thread on twitter (or X if you prefer... It's twitter to me and always will be!)

Anyway, that's enough talking for this week!

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 2

Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 13

#32 Desperate Move + Update 16/08

 Happy Blog Day Everyone!

A quick update on things is the order of the day! Before we get to the briefest of blogs today, we better see how Brennan and Riz are dealing with that Snake Zombie (or was it Zombie Snake?)...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

At last! We get to action! Not that Riz wanted it to go down this way of course. We're definitely closer to the end than the beginning (or at least, I'd like to think we are).

Sadly, that last panel turned out nothing like I envisioned it in my head, my desire exceeded my skill once again. Hopefully next time it'll be better.

Let's see if Kurz is having any better luck at dealing with Mason and his goons!

Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose

(First posted 1st June 2021)

"We can't let him do this!" Rose said, but Neal stopped her.

"You'd only put Kurz in more danger. Mason is too #happy, that overconfidence...Well just watch. This isn't Kurz's first gun fight..."

"Ready boys!" Mason called out. "Ready! Aim..."

(First posted 2nd June 2021)

Had Mason not let his #vanity take point over the job, he would never had let Kurz get close. He did though, just like Kurz knew he would. With a flurry of movement, Kurz's rope moved quickly, lassoing the guns and using them to knock the men out.

(First posted 3rd June 2021)

With a thwack, the last enforcer fell, unconscious. Mason twisted his lip, any sense of ease washing away with his confidence.

"What's wrong Mason, you look #demure," Kurz freed the gun from his lasso, tossing it aside. "I hate guns." He said.

(First posted 4th June 2021)

Mason lunged forward with his fist. A move Kurz was prepared for as he threw the lasso around Mason's wrist.

"One of these days, your #covetus hands is going to get you killed!" Kurz said, sliding underneath the brute, dragging him down.

(First posted 5th June 2021)

Mason lifted his head up from the floor, in shock over what had just happened. Enraged, he stood and grabbed the rope that Kurz had wrapped round his wrist.

"We'll see how your #Virtue holds up when I strangle you!" Mason pulled hard on the rope.

(First posted 6th June 2021)

If Mason had seen the smile on Kurz face as he started pulling the rope, he may of reconsidered the action, but it was too late for that.

"Thanks for being so #Generous as to help me out!" Kurz said, planting his heavy boot in Mason's face.

(First posted 7th June 2021)

Watching Mason rub his eyes, Kurz tightened the grip on his rope.

"I'm going to pull you apart!" Mason screamed.

"Not used to losing are you? Avarice isn't a good replacement for a spine!" Kurz sneered. "I'm ending this now, on my terms!"

(First posted 8th June 2021)

Kurz dodged a blow, falling in the process. He used the moment to toss the lasso round a small rock, behind Mason, who laughed:

"This is your #noble effort?"

"No, this is," Kurz threw the other end of the rope around the brute, binding him tight.

(First posted 9th June 2021)

Mason struggled to get free but his #wrath fizzled out.

"That rope was made to bind monsters, You ain't getting out!" Kurz said, letting a smile cross his face.

Neither realised they were being watched from afar by a tawdry looking man...

(First posted 10th June 2021)

"Argh!" Mason fell to the ground with a thud. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned his head, starring straight into Rose's glaring face. For a split second, he was #loving the sight, lost in her beauty. Then he remembered how strong she was...

(First posted 11th June 2021)

"What do we do with him?" Rose asked.

"Prison, he's one less problem for us," Kurz replied.

"Finch will spring me," Mason laughed. Bullets blasted the sand near him, leaving a symbol that Mason recognised and feared.

"#Eros! No!" He called out.

Who is Eros? What lies in store for our heroes? Find that out next week!

Update 16/08

As said above, there isn't a lot to discuss this week. There's a lot going on, but it sadly isn't writing related. I can hear the steampunk story crying out for editing work, the cast of Ghost Duty begging for their next journey to start...To say nothing of my other works...Brennan and Riz are taking a nicely deserved break in all of this.

Oh, but for more time!

Next week though...Then we'll have something to discuss! As I'll get to talk about a certain little character in much more focus...

Till then,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 13

#31 This Really Isnt Fair + Dissection

 Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Today, I've got a rather unfortunate job to do, but a necessary one, but before then, let's see what Brennan and Riz are up to!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

Well, how are they going to get out of this one? Don't ask me, I've no idea! Yet anyway...

This continuing story has been a fun experiment, and if I had to guess, we may be rapidly approaching the half way mark (if not there already). While I'll do a full post mortem once everything has been wrapped up, I'll say that of anything, this has hammered home how important planning is.

While not the first time I've done a serialised drawing series like this (look at Phantom Dawn below), it is the first one where I have a fixed layout of 3 panels. The others I could alter freely, this one is trickier to gauge, and it's a skill I'm looking to improve upon before December rolls around.

Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose

Last week, Rose was getting a history lesson from Neal, and that continues here. However, that isn't the only thing that's happening...

(First posted 20th May 2021)

Neal lost himself in memories, some he cherished, others he despised.

"My wife, Shauna, and I, were blessed with one child, a girl, Mina, born with #Mustard coloured hair. Despite Shauna passing, she was able to light the room with a smile."

(First posted 21st May 2021)

"Mina," Neal took a deep breath to settle himself. "Used to say that this world was a #conundrum. Justice was nowhere. So she literally took it upon herself. Stopping the poor from exploitation. She found love but she also found powerful enemies."

(First posted 22nd May 2021)

"One of her enemies tracked her down to her home. Two bullets ended her life. I arrived too late and found her and her husband dead in pools of their own blood. Kurz was hiding in the corner, afraid that the #Tawdry man had returned for him."

(First posted 23rd May 2021)

"We buried Mina and her husband just on the outskirts of #Iris, alongside my wife, under the gaze of the Phantom Dawn. Kurz's days of the happy child were over, that innocence slaughtered alongside his parents, and I, I didn't know what to do..."

(First posted 24th May 2021)

"I felt empty, till I remembered something Mina once said, her #PonyTail fluttering in the wind. She said 'I'm not strong enough to help everyone, but as long as I help someone, anyone, then I'll keep going.'

So I resolved to take that to heart."

(First posted 25th May 2021)

"With her words in mind, I started acting as a guide for people who wanted to escape Finch, taking them to a #quaint place out past his domain. My years as a shepherd helping to evade detection. Kurz, well, he swore that no one else would suffer."

(First posted 26th May 2021)

"Wait!" Rose blurted out. "Are we talking about the same Kurz, who was blind drunk last night!"

"Yes, while most people have different aspects, Kurz's are heavily polarised. With #wine in his system, he becomes the happy boy once more," Neal said.

(First posted 27th May 2021)

Rose had wanted to ask about the porcine creature that had been with Neal the whole time. She froze as she heard a sound, her senses telling her that danger was near, like a #doppelganger stalking.

"Watch out!" She screamed, as the guns started...

(First posted 28th May 2021)

Outside, armoured soldiers rained bullets down on the building, tearing down walls. Reacting in time, Rose had dragged Neal by his #earlobe, behind the table. The pair watched as more and more of their makeshift shield was whittled away.

(First posted 29th May 2021)

"Stop firing!" Mason gave the command and the guns fell silent. He surveyed the damage to the building and grinned:

"Well, let's see if they're #valiant now!"

A response to his statement was made when a battered table thundered through a wall.

(First posted 30th May 2021)

Mason watched with shock as the table almost smashed into his men. He looked back just as the dust was settling. Standing defiantly, was Rose and Neal, with Kurz speaking from behind them:

"I'll give them their just #desserts. Leave this to me."

(First posted 31st May 2021)

Mason relaxed a little as he saw Kurz coming out to fight, he was terrified of fighting the girl again. He felt the sense of #Finality in the air, that if nothing else, one pest would be out of the way. Kurz tightened the rope in his hands.

We're closing in on the end of this run. How will Kurz deal with these thugs? Will Mason get the last laugh? Find out next week!

Dissection

Last time I did something like this,  it was for my ill-fated crossing the tees 2019 entry (my last time I entered that contest). The subject this time? A very fresh one, as its the folklore story I was talking about last week.

Let's start off with the most elementary of errors that I made, the fact that I got the smegging date wrong for submission (something I've been doing a lot lately!). I was under the impression that I had until this past Monday to get it done...but no, the deadline was the Sunday before! This shortened my plans but then I lost a lot of writing time for various reasons which certainly didn't help things. However, these were things that could have been overcome. What couldn't have been overcome (at least not in the current time frame).

These problems were to do with my writing and the idea at the heart of it all. What I mean here, is the process of dragging a 2000-4000 word story out of a 128 (or whatever the limit was) character tweet. This took a lot of time trying to figure out a path to the central point, and no matter the version, I wasn't happy. Each one of then lacked menace and threat. I wanted a Wicker Man sense of unease in the first part of the short, wanting the reader to be wary of what came next without ever revealing what was behind the curtain. Turns out I was severely lacking in this area, with the majority of what I'd written being quite mundane. It is very annoying as I love the central concept but as it stands, it'll have to wait a while before I can  give it the justice it deserves.

This has been deflating though. I was so geared up to do this story that I got in over my head without even realising it. I love folklore, so the idea of twisting it, embracing its often darker edges...Yet, I failed. I was blinded to my own faults and to what I needed to do (I.e  work on adding more of the theme throughout).

To say I'm feeling down about it would be an understatement.

What does this mean for me now? Well, I still have the steampunk story there that I paused mid edit, that will be my next focus, then after that, I more light hearted approach to Halloween in the form of Ghost Duty will be the order of the day.

That's all for this week!

Till we meet again,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin.

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 13

#30 You Ask That Now + Writing Folk Horror

 Happy Blog Day Everyone!

This week I'm going to discuss my writing efforts on a not-completely-new genre, while offering an update on my steampunk story from last time! But first, let's see how Brennan and Riz are dealing with their situation...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz 

Well, to be fair, Riz did point out that it may be the wrong time! Things will heat up next week but will it be in the pairs favour? (Of course it won't!) Art suffered a bit more than normal here, so hopefully I can get back to my usual standard...Which isn't very good from the get go!

Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose

Last week, Rose had an encounter with Neal's grandson, Kurz, and a more unfortunate encounter with a thug named Mason! After dealing with the unwanted interest, Rose is finally ready for some answers...

(First posted 11th May 2021)

Rose gasped for air like a #jailbird gasping for freedom.

"Rose! Are you okay?" Neal asked from behind the locked door.

"I'm fine..." Rose answered, looking at the mirror. That dammed mask hauntingly traced over her face for a split-second.

(First posted 12th May 2021)

"I'm sorry, Rose, I used last nights events as a #scapegoat to avoid answering your question," Neal said sighing.

"Come to breakfast, and I'll answer everything you want to know, that I can tell you."

Rose was led by her curiosity downstairs...

(First posted 13th May 2021)

Rose asked something that had been bothering her since she arrived:

"What's the story behind the Phantom Dawn?" 

"You're in luck!" Neal laughed. "My #Superpower is telling stories! And this one begins in the #penultimate days before the Fall..."

(First posted 14th May 2021)

"Stories passed down," Neal started to say. "Tell of sun glinting off the tallest structures, where long lost science held sway. #Lollygaging along, the world in our hand. But no matter how great the light, there is always darkness in the shadows."

(First posted 15th May 2021)

Neal cleared his throat before continuing.

"A man, a scientist. Put himself before the world with apocalyptic warnings, threats that had the edge of a #poleaxe. No one listened, they all laughed at him. Carrying the guilt for what happened next."

(First posted 16th May 2021)

"...What happened next, sources can't agree over how long it lasted, but they all agreed on the devastation as the world was torn asunder, all under the gaze of the #colossal phenomenon, they came to call the Phantom Dawn..."

(First posted 17th May 2021)

"...The effect of the Phantom Dawn was felt far and wide." Neal stopped, allowing Rose to take in the #conversation.

"It became a regular occurrence, and in the aftermath, new evils cropped up to take over, like Casparvian Finch and his men."

(First posted 18th May 2021)

"Casparvian Finch?" Rose asked.

"Yes, Finch, the latest in a long line of warlords. His enforcers make sure people work, adding to his overwhelming wealth. Others treat him like a twisted #idol, like the man you beat up, Mason." Neal explained.

(First posted 19th May 2021)

"The way you speak of Casparavian Finch. Is he really a monster?" Rose asked.

Neal lowered his head.

"The answer to that lies #perpendicular to something that haunts me and Kurz."

"Your grandson?"

"Yes, Finch took someone precious from us both..."

There's a little more to go with the flashback arc here but we'll save that for next week!

Writing Folk Horror

After my flirt with steampunk, I became aware of another short story submission window opening...with a pretty short deadline! How short? Try 6th August short (on publication of this blog, it'll be 2nd August). The subject for this short? Folk Horror!

Before I talk about that though? I should give an update on the steampunk story. Last week, I said I'd have it submitted by now...It isn't, and the reason why? I looked back at the email which gave the information about it and realised I had a whole extra month to edit it! It was HDP14 that needed the stories in by now, and I'd submitted mine end of June...thinking it needed to be in by then. I wasn't happy with the self editing I'd done for that particular manuscript, so having a whole extra month to tinker with Mr Sans (Who's that? The main character of course!) Is a godsend and allows to get work done on this new story.

So, yeah folk horror. An interesting sub genre within Horror. To those who don't know, I'll let Wikipedia spell it out:

"Folk horror is a subgenre of horror film and horror fiction that uses elements of folklore to invoke fear and foreboding. Typical elements include a rural setting, isolation, and themes of superstition, folk religion, paganism, sacrifice and the dark aspects of nature."

In film terms, think Wicker Man, Midsommar or even Stephen Kings' Children of the Corn (both short story and film series). If you care to delve deeper into it, you'll find loads of examples from across the world on screen, and on the printed page.

The interesting thing, for me, is the use of folklore in these stories. Anyone who has read my dribble will know that folklore is a passion of mine so I should be able to craft a tale of horror easily, right? Right? Wrong, and let me explain why.

You see, when I approach a piece of folklore, it's often in the context of Brennan and Riz. I try to adapt as much as possible to fit their world view without losing the spirit of the tale (not easily done). While their world may incorporate some horror elements, by and large it would never get that dark. Stick Brennan and Riz in the Wicker Man for example and the ending is going to be no where near the same, to say nothing of the mood!

As for writing pure horror myself? I dabbled with a couple of short stories, even shared one if them on this very blog (it's under the lost writings heading, I think it's listed as A Chaotic Order). I don't think they ever turned out ad I envisioned them in my head, I was always lacking something. However, that doesn't mean I've given up trying!

This plot of the short story I'm working on now comes from a tweet I did back in 2021 from the vssmurder hashtag, obviously adapted in order to meet the 3k target word length. The tweet was about a man lamenting about how he has no more neighbours to show off his bone instruments...I think you can guess where the neighbours went. Crafting a bigger story out of this was a seperate challenge which I'm still arguing with myself over. I'm not at liberty to go into more detail on the expanded story yet but hopefully soon (assuming that I get it finished!). 

I've got 4 days to do it...let's see if I make it!

Till then,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Harvey Duckman Presents Volume 13